No other maritime tragedy in known history has fascinated the world as the story of the Titanic. Described as ‘practically unsinkable’ by the media of the time, this luxury cruise liner sank to the bottom of the ocean bed on Sunday, April 14 th, 1912 on her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York. Over the years, people have been drawn to incredible tales of human spirit and the emotion of the event, which left 1523 passengers and crew drowned, and only 705 survivors. Since then, huge efforts have been made to recover artifacts that went down with the ship so that future generations can view them and understand the ship’s story in a better light. Visitors to Las Vegas have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view 300 authentic Titanic artifacts at a unique exhibition located in the Tropicana Resort & Casino complex – Titanic, the Artifact Exhibition.
Millions of people have already viewed this fascinating exhibition in locations around the world and this is not the first time that it is being set up in Las Vegas. However, due to popular demand, the organizers have brought it back to the city for the benefit of visitors and locals alike. As a result, visitors to the exhibition get to experience a close up look at artifacts that lay for decades at 12,500 feet below the sea, as well as learn more about the fateful event.
The exhibition organizers stopped at nothing to provide visitors with an experience that is authentic as it gets. From the fully constructed replica of the famous Titanic staircase and ship’s promenade, to authentically replicated Third and First Class cabins, visitors will get a full-scale impression of the ship’s grandeur and size. Visitors take on the character of a passenger and make their way through the ship as if they were actually there on the day that the Titanic sank, including feeling the same weather conditions on deck as felt by passengers. To get the ultimate ‘feel’ for the cold conditions on the day and the temperature of the water into which so many people fell, visitors can even touch an iceberg.
The artifacts on display range from personal effects such as hairbrushes, bags and clothing, to crockery bearing the official stamp of the cruise liner company. There are written texts and even an eerie, self-prophesized postcard written by a passenger, Edgar Andrew, who did not survive the tragedy. Photographs and other images adorn the exhibition area and visitors can see historical records of the building of this great ship and the way her interior looked.
The exhibition also comes equipped with a Memorial Room that honors the more than 1500 people who died in 1912, including information about rescue efforts, the desperation of family members to discover news about their loved ones and funds that were collected to bring some relief to survivors.
While the blockbuster movie, “Titanic” brought home the message of this tragic tale, after seeing authentic items and experiencing actual ship conditions, visitors will leave Titanic – the Exhibition awed and humbled. |
